Our Pentecost Fire - Assignment 2 Barbara Billey
Our Pentecost Fire by Rev. Dr. Barbara Billey, Priest ARCWP Heart of Compassion Faith Community, Windsor, Ontario, Canada (01 June 2020) “The dove descending breaks the air With flame of incandescent terror Of which the tongues declare The one discharge from sin and error. The only hope, or else despair Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre- To be redeemed from fire by fire. Who then devised the torment? Love. Love is the unfamiliar Name Behind the hands that wove The intolerable shirt of flame Which human power cannot remove. We only live, only suspire Consumed by either fire or fire.” ― T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets T.S. Eliot wrote this poem after he converted to Christianity. For him, the Holy Spirit is the central fire that redeems humankind from the fires of hell. I'm not a proponent of the dualistic theology of heaven and hell; however, how do we make sense of a senseless hell that has taken place during the past week in the US where a black men, George Floyd
I might have more to say after our liturgy today from the collective wisdom of the wisdom ones.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you will, Barb, and I so look forward to reading it. Thank you for posting Christ in me arise; it's beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorites! We used it at CSH for Ascension as well.
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